This blog is to keep customers of Penman hats up to date with new products and estimated wait times for my handmade/custom fedoras. I also want to use this blog to better inform people entering the world of fine crafted hats. If you have any question, please feel free to ask them here.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Please visit Rescue 1's web site to see some of the others and the great history that they where a part of.
http://www.rescue1fdny.com/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Please visit our own squidkidd's dad site and see what a wonderful project he took upon himself to under take. I will never be able to thank Henry Kidd enough for all he has done.
http://www.henrykiddart.com/91101.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I can't believe another years has gone by. I'm sure most of everyone knows by now that I was originally from the "Big Apple." I lived there for the first 33 years of my life and always wanted to be a New York City firemen since I was 5. I had the honor to know a few of the guys from Rescue 1 and was very supportive when I was taking all the test to just make the list. They where there for me from the moment I put in my application to when I got the letter to start the academy. It took a total of 8 years from the point of the application until they starting calling people. The FDNY had the biggest list prior to 9/11. My list was 42,631 deep. The guys from rescue one kept my spirits up and would offer to pay any of the fees that was needed to take the test. I don't think I could have done it without their support. It went a long way.

I worked as personal trainer in a near by gym and would see them almost every day. They would ask me to go with them on ride-a-longs and if they ever saw me walking home they would give me a lift home ( at the time I lived right down the block from them). I got dragged to a few fires because of it but that was ok. Thats where I wanted to be anyway.

When I did finally got the letter to start in the FDNY I had moved out west 4 months before for my wife's job. I had to turn down the FDNY 2 days before my start date. It was the hardest thing I had to do. Now being out west and had to start the whole thing from scratch I used their strength of character to get though all the training. I had to start a little older than most guys but got though everything and enjoyed every moment.

I wanted to share this with everyone here so they know a little something about these guys that meant so much to me. They gave so much so I think we should remember them this day of September 11
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Firefighter Patrick O'Keefe Rescue1

Battalion Chief John Moran Battalion 49

Lieutenant Dennis Mojica Rescue 1

Captain Terrance Hattan Resue 1

Captain Patrick Brown Ladder 3

Firefighter Joseph Angelini sr. Rescue 1

The biggest regret I have is not going fishing with my friend Patrick. I will miss him and all the guys that I now call fallen brothers.